Game 10

Just a few thoughts on the turn (as have some spare time whilst I wait for a delivery)

-who is behind the theft of the plans of the East Indiaman in London? The obvious thief are the naughty French of course, I mean who else who be so cheeky?

-So, did the Chinese send the letters to the Dutch or not? If they did, what have the Dutch done with them-used them as coasters for their coffee? If not, can we expect a few heads to roll in Kowloon?

-You have to wonder about James Stewart Jnr, I mean a man who wants to be King who can't fall off a horse without claiming it was some deep dark conspiracy...and then starts his own ships crew, a bit unsporting I feel...though perhaps the truth is the Devil is owed a soul and James Jnr was hoping he'd accept a sailors rather than his own...

-so the King is Dead...long live ???? Is war inevitable or can a peaceful succession still happen?

-Are brothels the new French growth industry?

-And who is the mystery man washed up at Kowloon...and why does this poor soul deserve a mention?

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this news service brought to you by the village idiot at Khami
- he's so much of an idiot that he hasn't realised Khami's not a village!

January 1701 turn is out.

The city of York (England) has gone over to the Stuart cause and is in rebellion to the British Government

Plenty of discussion on what will now happen with the King of Spain still being dead

Savoy's military occupation of the Duchy of Milan is still being talked about - with the issue of the Spanish succession now creating a new twist in the tale, as it will no doubt feature in the King of Spain's will

Chinese diplomat to the UDP 'diplomatically' tells the Dutch to look to their own foreign office as to the cause of lost letters, as in the last year the UDP hasn't received letters from China or Japan

Japan considers future trade outside of their islands

Gujerat wants a guarantee of them being a self-governing principality inside the Moghul Empire, as well as the Moghuls to pay for the upkeep on the half of the Gujerat army they wish use of  

France and Portugal both are busy in Africa

Rozwi makes a diplomatic faux-pas and states they want a Portuguese chap to come and act as a diplomat to them, but they don't want him anywhere near Khami (the capital) and will house him at a royal kraal at Umtali our side (that's the Rozwi side) of the Rozwi-Mozambique border

[Lesson to be learned by me: never think that what you are writing, and written quite bluntly, won't end up in the newspaper! ]

>[Lesson to be learned by me: never think that what you are writing, and written quite bluntly, won't end up in the newspaper! lol! ]<

We've all learned that lesson, since Richard loves to do that to you.

I've learned that you can and should mention something akin to "Very private conversation with advisors, not to be repeated" before such things on your turn.

In this instance it was me further explaining what I'd said to Portugal, in a private letter, for the better understanding of the GM.

The GM and I have had previous communications between ourselves as to Rozwi's position on ambassadors to non-African Tribal courts (basically, we don't send them abroad, as we don't have ships), so I wanted to stress that the chap Portugal may send to Rozwi won't be an ambassador, and shouldn't be considered as residing at Khami (mainly as its too far away from Mozambique and communications and messengers have the good chance of becoming lost or food for wildlife).

But, I failed to express what I was saying was meant for the GM only, and it ended up being taken as part of my Diplomatic Orders and used in the newspaper. My fault and all part of the fun.

I always said those bloody Yorkists were just trouble This is what happens when you have Vikings for ancestors...

Must admit, I also quite enjoy it when Richard has caught me out like that-shows he is really paying attention to my turn...and hopefully shows he's enjoying the games as much as I am

Further to events, January 1701:

The northern English city of York goes over to the Stuart cause

The Scottish government makes sure to express that they have no truck with the Stuarts

(York is considered to be the capital of the north of England)

Some bloke playing a game position in south east Africa (while making a cup of tea, in real life) remembers the expression "...Protests too much".

Has the north of England actually been infiltrated by Scottish spies, who are now using Stuart secret society rumours to their advantage?

Scotland says it won't become involved in fighting over the Spanish succession, but is this in fact because they'll already have invaded and are occupying the English north?

Coincidence?

Conspiracy Theory?

Rozwi talking nonsense?

Will sales of this Highland brew called Whisky, that the Scottish chap in the newspaper is always drinking, be seeing an increase south of Hadrian's Wall?

damn, my cunning plan revealed!

Actually, in all seriousness, you have a point-it could look a bit suspicious...just wish I was that devious!

Rozwi_Game10 wrote:January 1701 turn is out.

The city of York (England) has gone over to the Stuart cause and is in rebellion to the British Government

Plenty of discussion on what will now happen with the King of Spain still being dead

Savoy's military occupation of the Duchy of Milan is still being talked about - with the issue of the Spanish succession now creating a new twist in the tale, as it will no doubt feature in the King of Spain's will

Following outbreak of Necromancy in G7 find this bit about the "King of Spain still being dead" a bit worrying........makes it sound like he could stop being dead any time soon

Actually is it not a case of "The King is dead......long live the King" so who the hell is King of Spain in G10?????

Find it odd that in many Games Spanish Govts go out of the way to give themselves loads of possible problems with miracle babies, dodgy documents on which the ink is still drying etc, etc rather than use one of the two perfectly good adult heirs they could use.

As I see it Richard can cause enough grief for players without giving him extra ammo.........And before anyone says anything....yes I was the Ottoman player who started a blood feud with the Janissary Corp and called the Grand Mufti an illogical old goat who's attempt at logic clearly showed signs of him going senile.  So I know what I am talking about on this type of thing.

Faced with problem of Savoy pinching a chap's Duchy of Milan think I would just cown a Bourbon/Hapsburg (delete as required) and shout at Grandfather/Dad's (delete as required) ministers ref Family Honour & the Loan of a Army.

I think some Spanish Government players worry that if they crown a French or a Austrian Prince they will end up being told what to do by Paris or Vienna.  But do English players worry that they have a Dutch Monarch? (With option on half Italian-Scot brough up in France) or Polish players that they have a German King?

Actually in games without miracle babies and the like its often a two way street.  In G2 when not trying to annex Portugal and fighting the English......King Philip seemed to enjoy themself by basically bullying his father's ministers.

Of course in G7 the ever loyal, loveable, kind, generous 2nd son of the Emperor is the apple of his parents eyes and would never attempt to influence their ministers in any way apart from with kindness.  However, Austrian 2nd position (Hungarian to be exact) may find life a bit more tricky.

Ahhh Stuart but you overlook the obvious difference...the Dutch and German gentlemen in question are reasonable, sensible and fair-minded men who know when not to push things...

The Frenchman and Austrian are, well, French and Austrian...

A Jacobite rebellion in York not sponsored by the Scots? I dont believe it, because its not us French. Actually, its probably just the Jacobites, But I thought we had already established G7 French bad, G9 French ok, G10 French nice, friendly and helpful to everyone, even the Spanish if only they knew it.

You know, I'm rather touched that some of you think I devious (and organised!) enough to do nice big anti-Jacobite speeches whilst secretly organising Jacobite uprisings in York...

But if it's not Scotland and it's not France...and suddenly King James has disappeared off the honour table...and his drunken, cant-ride-a-horse and cant-shoot-straight son isn't boasting in the paper this month about how awesome he is...

Stuart Bailey wrote:

Rozwi_Game10 wrote:January 1701 turn is out.

The city of York (England) has gone over to the Stuart cause and is in rebellion to the British Government

Plenty of discussion on what will now happen with the King of Spain still being dead

Savoy's military occupation of the Duchy of Milan is still being talked about - with the issue of the Spanish succession now creating a new twist in the tale, as it will no doubt feature in the King of Spain's will

Following outbreak of Necromancy in G7 find this bit about the "King of Spain still being dead" a bit worrying........makes it sound like he could stop being dead any time soon

If he did suddenly sit upright, all alive and well [Its a miracle!] it would probably solve a few problems

Would be quite funny if he did so during his funeral

Anyone seen that episode of Father Ted where they thought Father Jack had died?

Jason wrote:Ahhh Stuart but you overlook the obvious difference...the Dutch and German gentlemen in question are reasonable, sensible and fair-minded men who know when not to push things...

The Frenchman and Austrian are, well, French and Austrian...

Augustus the Strong Elector of Saxony & King of Poland .......reasonable, sensible, fair-minded man who know when not to push things

This being the same sensible bloke who drank Peter the Great under the table and started the Great Northern War after a three day bender with his new Russian drinking buddy?

Well it probably did seem a sensible idea when viewed through the bottom of a glass?

Jason wrote:You know, I'm rather touched that some of you think I devious (and organised!) enough to do nice big anti-Jacobite speeches whilst secretly organising Jacobite uprisings in York...

But if it's not Scotland and it's not France...and suddenly King James has disappeared off the honour table...and his drunken, cant-ride-a-horse and cant-shoot-straight son isn't boasting in the paper this month about how awesome he is...

Have the Jacobites vanished from the list & the Govt of Scotland showed up on the list by any Chance?

Sorry to upset any conspiracy theories but Scotland has been on the honour list since October 1700

All that means is how well the Scots have played this double bluff, its confirmed then, the Scots have launched a Jacobite rebellion in England.......

I hadn't realised I was so devious and underhand...

In Assyria's End I 'disappeared' my own playing character (Shaknu Adad Niari of Nairi) and installed a puppet look-alike in his place. I then had the real Shaknu wander off (err, he actually did disappear, the silly sod!) as I wanted to have him turn up elsewhere and therefor be in two places at once, causing mischief. At the point of me stopping playing the game I'd lost my playing character and was playing as the puppet, if memory serves me correct. [FYI, I lost half my Honour score when my guy disappeared.]

I don't know if the above makes me 'devious and underhand', or just a silly sod who sabotaged his own playing position?

You see, that's what would happen if I had tried to be devious and underhand...the Jacobite revolution would have happened in Edinburgh rather than York!

Jason wrote:I hadn't realised I was so devious and underhand...

Following last couple of posts I was just wondering if we need a couple of new threads:

1) Who is the most devious & underhand player? Is it Jason?

&

2) Times when I have been too devious and underhand for own good.

While it is possible that Jason is not a Jacobite 5th column in G10 think we may have a a possible entry in Scabble:

a) Jason is now running Nippon

b) Prior to new Govt of Nippon........Nippon has lost a war with the Chin Empire because no one else joined in and Nippon Army crushed by weight of numbers (Fleet went down in Typhoon but thats a different Story). Due to Army losses Nippon Army unable to back Pro Nippon side in Korean civil war and they also lost to humiliation of Nippon Foreign Office/Secret Service.

c) So new Prime Minister of Nippon (Jason) wants revenge of Chin & Koreans and these NPC's weakened so Nippon can expand in Far East .....but he may not be in a position to act against them in a open manner. And suddenly we have:

- Russian merchants murdered in Chin & even worse the Lord Derby's corporate tax payers - The HSBC humiliated and thrown out of Shanghai.

- While in Korea ........the Czar Envoy gets insulted and humiliated in public and thrown onto a boat to Nippon (in a Typhoon).

D) Fairly sure that if Chin break treaties and pick a fight with Lord Derby & the HEIC they are going to be weakened. Likewise if Lord Kalu goes around insulting the Czar its clear signs of a death wish. But if Jason invites in the happy Hymn Singing Cossack Hordes of the Czar to weaken his foes in Chin/Korea has he considered who is is going to get rid of the Cossacks?

In Scabble these are not the home sick serfs of G7 wanting nothing more than to get home from Scotland and never see another boat again.......no these Cossacks are on a "Mission from God" and the Czar titles seem to include being "Khan of Khans."

Fairly sure the prior holders of this title used to claim Nippon as well as a lot else........so Jason may need the Divine Wind Machine at some stage!

Is Scramble's 'Nippon' Japan pre-, or post-Meiji, out of interest? Or something completely different, to aid game play.

Afraid I dropped out of being Nippon in Scramble, just couldn't quite get the hang of it so can't really take the credit (is that the right word?) for what it is up to now.

It is a Meiji Restoration Japan. Trying to modernise and become Western but I found it was so far behind the rest of the game in technological terms.

Rozwi_Game10 wrote:Is Scramble's 'Nippon' Japan pre-, or post-Meiji, out of interest? Or something completely different, to aid game play.

Game date is now 1859 but its not very historic and maps are different to real world.  Think Jules Verne & the Flashman books rather than the actual History of the period.

Each player has 12 Characters of different types which can do different things or you can play one like a For God King and Country position.  One of which is a Politician........as a class these seem to have limited use but seemingly they make the work of hostile rebels & agitators (two other character types) less likely to work.  Most players seem to use their Politician as head of the Govt and their voice in the game for making speaches, sending letters etc.

So Lord Derby is British Prime Minister (and a one players Politician) while Queen Victoria is run as a NPC run by Richard.  If something goes wrong like Chin being nasty to British Merchants the Queen may not be amused and he may get no cake with his tea!  If Lord Derby does not get tea and is left standing by Queen........people are going to start to die.

Nippon seems to work in same way with Emperor and a "Politician" who heads government.  The fact that the Nippon players have called him Prime Minister of Japan rather than Shogan would indicate post-Meiji but it has no influence on game.  Apart from fact that Nippon views itself as modern and progressive.......like the British and Americans (North & South).

In contrast Russia is run by a old style Autocrat with Nationalist Prime Minister.  France & Germany.....who the hell runs these nut houses?

It should also be noted that half the played positions in game at not countries but trade companies inc x3 Brits (Tea Cartel, Opium Cartel & HEIC) but as game is about Characters they are just as playable as Countries.

If you want to try this game you could always play Mr Yorke great great Grandson.  Think one player has a single British Engineer active in India so far he is trying to find the killers of his father while trying to avoid the thuggee and the authorites who want to know why he pulled a pistol in a market.

This is however fairly minor for a Scabble Character.........note object of game is set own objectives but generally better to humiliate rivals and cause them as possible.

Jason wrote:Afraid I dropped out of being Nippon in Scramble, just couldn't quite get the hang of it so can't really take the credit (is that the right word?) for what it is up to now.

It is a Meiji Restoration Japan.  Trying to modernise and become Western but I found it was so far behind the rest of the game in technological terms.

sad you dropped............but surely if you are behind in R & D you just get a agent to pinch a load of kit from someone else or buy on black market?

Dont think anyone has lost a Battleship yet but rifles & airships seem to go walk about on a regular basis.